The original shop building is the yellow front portion; the darker portion behind is a non-Shaker addition.
Built about 1800, this small building was identified on Village maps as the ministry’s shop or just plain “shop.” It was originally located on the site of the New Office. Sometime before 1839 it was moved to its present position.
If a building no longer served its original purpose, the Shakers moved and reused it. When they moved this shop to its present location, they added a stone foundation, giving it another story, and it was used as a tailor’s shop. Clothing was made here for sisters and brethren from patterns that were adapted for individual Shakers. In the earlier years, sisters typically made
clothing for sisters and brothers for brethren.
The inside of the tailor shop is all original, including the cabinetry and moldings. At one time an iron stove vented through the center chimney. After the Shakers left, new owners used the shop as a residence and added a kitchen. More recent owners built the present addition, removed the kitchen, and added an upstairs bathroom.
A cart track ran beside the Tailor’s Shop to provide access to the land behind. At one time, structures such as the Garden Shop, Washhouse, Seed Barn, and Office Stable, stood behind the building.
“Br. Isaac commenced giving lessons in cutting brethrens cloths (at the tailors shop) Elder Grove, Susan C. Susan K & Betsey Knowles are the ones that are learning…”
—1851 Shaker journal entry
Built about 1800, this small building was identified on Village maps as the ministry’s shop or just plain “shop.” It was originally located on the site of the New Office. Sometime before 1839 it was moved to its present position.
If a building no longer served its original purpose, the Shakers moved and reused it. When they moved this shop to its present location, they added a stone foundation, giving it another story, and it was used as a tailor’s shop. Clothing was made here for sisters and brethren from patterns that were adapted for individual Shakers. In the earlier years, sisters typically made
clothing for sisters and brothers for brethren.
The inside of the tailor shop is all original, including the cabinetry and moldings. At one time an iron stove vented through the center chimney. After the Shakers left, new owners used the shop as a residence and added a kitchen. More recent owners built the present addition, removed the kitchen, and added an upstairs bathroom.
A cart track ran beside the Tailor’s Shop to provide access to the land behind. At one time, structures such as the Garden Shop, Washhouse, Seed Barn, and Office Stable, stood behind the building.
“Br. Isaac commenced giving lessons in cutting brethrens cloths (at the tailors shop) Elder Grove, Susan C. Susan K & Betsey Knowles are the ones that are learning…”
—1851 Shaker journal entry
